Combination-padlock.



PATENTED. OUT. 9, 1906.

L. B. GAYLOR.

COMBINATION PADLOGK.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-13,1905.

in place.

UNITED sTArEs LEONARD B. GAYLOR, OF

STAM FORD, CONNECTICUT.

COMB INATION-PADLOCKr Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9', I906.-

Application filed October 13', 1905. Serial No. 282,558.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. GAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident in the city of Stamford, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keyless or socalled Combination Padlocks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a padlock complete, showing one form in which the invention may be embodied. Fig. 2 illustrates a view of that which is shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the bottom or under side. Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical sectional view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, the yoke of the lock being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 illustrates a vertical sectional View on the line 1 1 of Fig.1. Fig. 5 illustrates an elevation of the guard-piece.

My padlock may be made of any suitable material. I prefer that it should be made entirely of brass, so as to avoid the destructive results of rust, corrosion, &c. It may, however, be made of any suitable material or partly of one material and partly of another.

The special construction of the parts may be as illustrated in the drawings, which I have found a very practical and useful form in which to make them, or may be modified, as preferred. The construction illustrated is an example merely of one form in which theparts may be constructed and combined.

Ais the body or casing of the lock. Bis the cover or removable side. These parts are" connected together in any preferred manner.

In Fig. 4 I show at C C the lines of separation which I prefer.

D is the yoke, pivoted at E.

The two parts of the casing are preferably, but not necessarily, provided with outwardlyswelling rounded portions F F for the reception of the tumblers G G G They are suitably slotted for the passage through them of the tumblers, and the latter are supported upon the axis H, which in the instance shown is threaded at one end and threads into a stud I. At the other end it is supported in a similar stud J. The end of the axis H is preferably provided with a groove for the reception of the edge of a screwdriver, whereby it may be properly screwed The tumblers are each provided with an opening K and likewise with a series of notches or depressions L, made about their peripheries.

M M M are balls inclosed within recesses N N N made in the lock-castingproper, and O O O are springs which may be coilsprings, as shown, located within the same recesses and which tend always to press the balls M M M upwardly against and into the notches or recesses L on the periphery of the tumblers.

P is the bolt, adapted to slide transversely across the lock, being actuated in one direction by the spring Q and in the other by a knob R. It is provided with downwardlyprojecting members S, which are provided with transverse locking-dogs T, adapted to enter the openings K in the tumblers when the openings register with them.

U is what I call a guard-plate. It is adapted to vertical movement through the interior of the lock under the action of the spring V, which may be a coil spring, as shown. This guard-plate has an opening W in it, adapted to register with ahole' Y in: the side of the casing, through which the screwdriver may be passed for the insertion or removal of the axis H.

One of the notches on the edge of each tumbler is omitted, and a projecting or convex member, as seen at L, is substituted therefor, so that it will strike against the bottom of the slot cut through the casing for the reception of the tumbler and prevent further rotation. The slots are elongated at their upper ends, so that this projection: L will not strike against the casing in its transit across the upper arc. In other words,- this point L acts as a stay or stop for the tumbler to limit its revolution.

It will be noted that the springs O O 0 press the balls M M M or their equivalents into. the notches in the peripheries of the tumblers, so that their revolution is distinctly retarded each time a ball enters one of the notches. tumblers from notch to notch will be plainly indicated to the operator and the" degree of revolution of the tumblers be easily ascertained. The openings K made inthe'several tumblers, through which the locking-dogs pass, are spaced in them at different distances from the projecting point L as for example, in Fig. 4 this opening is shown op- In this way the rotation of the posite the fifth notch traveling from left to right and opposite the eleventh notch counting from right to left. The operation is as follows: In assembling a lock tumblers having the dog opening at different places are selected, as may be necessary, to give the desired combination for that look and arranged in the desired succession upon the shaft, which is then screwed in place.

ture, whatever it may beas, for example, a staple-the free or bolt engaging end is pressed into the lock,and in so doing the bolt P is pressed to the right, compressing the spring Q and likewise depressing the guard U, compressing its spring V, so that it covers the opening Y in the lock-casing and prevents access to the interior of the lock, and thus tampering with the shaft is prevented. When the yoke is fully depressed, the bolt P springs forwardly again and enters the notch in the yoke prepared for its reception. Thus the padlock is firmly locked in position, and the tumblers being disarranged the security of the fastening is assured. To unlock, all of the tumblers are rotated backwardly as far as they will go-in other words, until the projections L on them, res ectively, stop against the bottom of the s ot in the casing B, through which the tumblers project, thus establishing a starting-point for the forward rotation of the tumblers. The operator, knowing the combination, then rotates each tumbler forwardly as many notches as are re quisite to bring the dog-openings K in them,

respectively, in proper line, and he will be guided in thus successively rotating the rumblers by the sense of touch and also by the click of the balls M M M as they successively pass from notch to notch. When all of the tumblers are in line, the bolt P will be pressed rearwardly by its knob R, whereupon the spring V of the guard-plate will impulsively press the guard-plate upwardly, ejecting the yoke and opening the lock.

The guard is provided at a suitable place with a stop-as, for instance, the projecting led e Uwhich strikes against the projecting end of the shaft H, thus limiting the upward movement of the guard-plate. It will be obvious to those who are familiar with this art that my locks may be made with any de-, sired number of tumblers and that the num-' ber of combinations possible is almost unlimited, a large number being available with so few a number as two or three tumblers.

My lock'embodies a series of advantages which,so far as I am aware, have never before been realized in keyless padlocks, among them the following: If the parts are made of rustless materialas, for instance, brass-the life of the lock is Ipractically indefinite. Also, owing to the re atively tight joints, foreign matter is excluded from the interior of the Now to effect the locking after the yoke is duly engaged with the coacting struclock. Also, owing to the automatic action of the guard-plate, tampering with the interior of the lock is absolutely prevented. Again, the spring which actuates the guard-plate automatically assures the spring-opening of the yoke. Also the same tumblers may be arranged to present a great number of diiferent combinations by changing their order upon .the shaft or by reversing them-in other words, turning them over and putting them back upon the shaft either in the same or different order. g

It will be further obvious to those familiar with this art that. the specific arrangement and construction of the parts may be different from that shown and described. I present the form shown in the drawings as one desirable construction only.

I claim 1. In a keyless padlock the combination of a plurality of tumblers all concentric upon a fixed shaft and each provided with a stop which limits its rotation, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumblers for locking and unlocking the look, a guard-plate which protects the end of the shaft, and a yoke, the free end of which actuates the guard-plate and is engaged by the bolt.

2. In a keyless padlock the combination of a tumbler provided with a stop which limits its rotation, a fixed shaft for the tumbler, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumbler for locking and unlocking the look, a guard-plate opposite the' end of the shaft, and a yoke, the free end of which actuates the guard-plate and is engaged by the bolt.

3. In a keyless padlock the combination of a plurality of circular tumblers, the periphcries of which project through the sides of the lock-casing and are provided with depressions and with a stop to limit their rotation, an automatically-acting device for each tumbler within the lock which retard the rotation of the tumblers by engaging with said depressions, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumblers for locking and unlocking the lock and a yoke, the free end of which is engaged by the bolt.

4. In a keyless padlock the combination of a tumbler, the periphery of which projects through the sides of the lock-casing and is provided with depressions and with a stop to limit its rotation, an axis for the tumbler, spring actuated devices within the lock which retard the rotation of the tumbler by engaging with said depressions, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumbler for locking and unlocking the lock, a guard-plate for the end of the axis and a yoke, the free end of which actuates the guard-plate and is engaged by the bolt.

5. In a keyless padlock the combination of a series of tumblers, the edges of which project through the sides of the lo :k-casing, a

fixed axis for the tumblers, a device for each tumbler within the lock coacting therewith to retard their rotation, a spring-actuated bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumblers for locking and unlocking the lock, and a yoke, the free end of which is engaged by the bolt.

6. In a keyless padlock the combination of tumblers the edges of which project through the sides of the lock-casing, a fixed axis for the tumblers, devices within the lock coacting with the tumblers to retard their rotation, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumblers for locking and unlocking the look, a guard-plate for the axis and a yoke, the free end of which actuates the guardplate and is engaged by the bolt.

7. In a keyless padlock the combination of tumblers, the edges of which project through the sides of the lock-casing, an axis for the tumblers, devices within the lock coacting with the tumblers to retard their rotation, a bolt provided with parts which coact with the tumblers for locking and unlocking the look, a guard-plate for the axis of the tumblers, and a yoke, the free end of which actuates the guard-plate and is engaged by the bolt, and a spring coacting with the guardplate which upon disengagement of the bolt from the free end of the yoke causes the latter to fly open.

8. In a keyless padlock the combination of a plurality of tumblers, each provided with a stop which limits its rotation, devices within the lock-engaging devices .on the tumblers to retard their rotation, a bolt provided with dogs which coact with the tumblers for looking and unlocking the look, a, spring-actuated guard-plate and a yoke, the free end of which operates the guard-plate and engages the bolt, the guard-plate being adapted to eject the yoke upon the unlocking of the lock.

9. In a permutation-padlock an axis for the tumblers, a casing having an opening for access to the said axis, a guard-plate which guards the said opening brought into operative position by the locking of the lock.

10. In a padlock an axis for the tumblers, a casing having an opening for access to the said axis, a spring-actuated guard-plate which guards the said opening and which is brought into operative position by the locking of the lock and which ejects the yoke upon unlocking the lock.

11. In a keyless padlock a perforated casing, a perforated movable guard-plate, tumblers and an axis for the tumblers, all adapted to be brought into registration with each other, whereby the axis may be removed and inserted for changing the combination.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD B. GAYLOR. 

